Vehicle-brake



(No Model) F. 0. GODMAN. VEHICLE BRAKE.

No. 582,584. Patented May 11, 1897.

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no: nomus PETERS no. Puu'mumu, wnsnmr-Ton. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FORGUS O. GODMAN, OF FORT WVAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ISAACO. RUSSELL, CHARLES E. THOMPSON, AND DANIEL E. STORMS, OF LAFAYETTE,INDIANA.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,584, dated May 11,1897.

Application filed October 29,1896. Serial No. 610,479. (No model.)

To aZZ whom i may COW W hounds, are provided with a series of perfora-Be it known that I, FORGUS O. GODMAN, a tions 8, adapted to permit theadjustment of citizen of the United States, residing at Fort a clevis 9,to which a pair of chains 10 are con- WVayne, in the county of Allen andState of nected. The chains converge forwardly, pref- I 5 Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful 76- erabl y extending across the sand-bolster,and 5 5 hicle-B rake, of which the following is a speciare secured attheir front terminals to the rear fication. end of a connecting-rod 11,and the latter is The invention relates to improvements in provided atits rear end with an eye 12, into automatic vehicle-brakes. which thefront ends of the chains are linked.

TO The object of the present invention is to The connecting-rod, whichextends longitudi- 6o improve the construction of automatic vehinally ofthe tongue or pole 13, is operated by a ole-brakes and to provide asimple device yoke-engaging device consisting, preferably, adapted to beoperated by back pressure of of a lever 14, fulcrumed in aslot of thefront the neck-yoke and capable of effectually enend of the tongue orpole extending beneath r 5 gaging the front wheels of a vehicle to checkthe same and adapted to be engaged byaneck- 65 the forward movement indescending an inyoke center, whereby the backward pressure clilleof thedraft-animals will produce an applica- A further object of the inventionis to ention of the brake to prevent the vehicle from able the parts tobe readily arranged so that running for-ward on the animals. As soon asthe brake will not be applied while backing the draft-animals startforward the wheels 70 a team. are immediately relieved of the brake byThe invention consists in the construction the transversely-disposedcoiled spring,which and novel combination and arrangement of connectsthe brake-levers. parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated Inbacking, the automatic brake is held out in the accompanying drawings,and pointed of engagement by a locking device consist- 75 out in theclaims hereto appended. ing of a bar 16, pivoted at one end between Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective perforated lugs of a plate 17,and provided view of a portion of a runningear provided intermediate ofits ends with an integral pin or with an automatic brake constructed inacprojection 18, adapted when the bar is swung 3o cordance with thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a lonrearward to engage the eye 12 of the connect-0 gitudinal sectional view of the same. ing-rod and lock the latteragainst longitu- Like numerals of reference designate corredinalmovement. The connecting-rod passes spondingpartsinbothfigures of thedrawings. between the perforated ears of the plate 17 1 1 designate apair of rearWardly-diverging and is guided by the latter, and the bar 16is 3 5 curved brake-levers fulcrumed at their front adapted to be swungforward, as illustrated 85 ends, preferably at the center of the frontaxle in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, when 2 of the running-gear,and having their outer it is desired to permit the automatic brake toends located in rear of the front wheels 3 and operate. The plate 17 issecured to the upcarrying brake-shoes 4, adapted to engage the per faceof the tongue or pole and the cars wheels3when the brake is applied.Abracket extend upward therefrom. 9 5 is secured to the rear face of theaxle 2 and It will be seen that the automatic brake is is providedwithapair of rearwardly-disposed exceedingly simple and inexpensive inconlugs, which are perforated for the reception struction, that it ispositive and reliable in of the pivots which fulcrum the brake-leversoperation, and that the back pressure of the 1, and the latter arenormally held out of enneck-yoke on the lower end of the lever 14 5gagement with the wheels by a transverselycauses the brake-shoes toengage the front disposed spiralspring 6, connecting them near wheels.It will also be seen that by adjusttheir front ends. ing the clevises 9the degree of pressure of The outer portions of the lovers, which arethe brake-shoes on the front wheels may be arranged in suitable keepers7 of the front readily regulated, and that in backing the parts may bereadily arranged to prevent the brake from being applied.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention, such as varying the construction ofthe neck-yoke-engaging device.

hat I claim is 1. I11 an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination with arunning-gear,of a pair of rearwardly-diverging brake-levers fulcrumed attheir front terminals to the center of the front axle and having theirrear terminals located in rear of the front wheels, brake-shoes carriedby the rear end of the brake-levers, a coiled spring connecting thebrake-levers near the front ends thereof and adapted to hold thebrake-shoes normally off the wheels, a neck-yoke-engaging devicearranged at the front end of the pole, and connections between theneck-yolze device and the brakelevers, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. In an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination with a running-gear,of a pair of brake-levers, fulcrumed at their front ends at the centerof the front axle and extending rearward and having their rear endsarranged to engage the front wheels, brake shoes mounted on the rearends of the brake-levers,

a coiled spring connecting the brake-levers near the front ends thereof,a connecting-rod mounted on the tongue or pole, chains attached to therear end of the connecting-rod and ad j ustably secured to thebrake-levers at the outer ends thereof, and a neck-yoke-engaging devicelocated at the front end of the connecting-rod, substantially asdescribed.

In an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination with a running-gear, of apair of brake-levers fulerumed at their front ends at the center of thefront axle and extending rearward with their rear ends arranged toengage the front wheels, a coiled spring connecting the brake-levers, apair of forwardlyeonverging chains secured to thebrake-levers andextending to the pole, a connecting-rod mounted on the pole and providedat its rear end with an eye linked into the front ends of the chains,and a locking device consisting of a pivoted bar mounted on the pole andprovided with a pin or projection arranged to en gage the eye of theconnectingrod, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed111 y signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FORGUS O. GODMAN.

\Vitnesses:

Josnrrr G. RANK, EDWARD J. Scooxovnn.

